


The Dragon Rider

by Jay_the_Dragon



Category: Original Work
Genre: Dragons, Other, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Soldiers, Transgender
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-04 14:35:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12773118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_the_Dragon/pseuds/Jay_the_Dragon
Summary: A dragon rider escapes the empire's capture, much to the dismay of a soldier who has lost his partner in the escape. Determined to bring the "criminal" to justice, the soldier travels across the country to find him, teaming up with a female freelance warrior who wishes to go on an adventure to prove her ability to be a soldier.





	1. Escape part 1

Nie was not in what one would consider a very good situation. Currently, he sat in the back of wagon with criminals with his hands tied on his way to execution. While awaiting imminent death, the man to his left began to tease him.

“What are you being hanged for, stealing bread?” the man laughed, followed by the rest of the wagon’s prisoners. He stared down Nie with a smirk on his face. The smaller man looked up, smiling. At once there was silence when they saw Nie’s scarred face.

“No, I’m here for something far worse than stolen bread. The Empress isn’t exactly a fan of dragon riders,” he said cheerfully. He looked to the skies expectantly.

Needless to say there were no comments made after that and Nie was content to hold his head in his hands and imagine escape.

When the wagon stopped, he stood up with the rest of the prisoners and walked to the gallows. Men and women stood around them waiting for a show. He would certainly give them one, if his ride could get here on time. As he waited his turn, he listened for the distinct flapping of wings. What he wasn’t hearing concerned him.

“Nie Wellings,” the captain called, signalling his time to step onto the platform,” you have been found guilty of being a dragon rider and therefore you are an enemy to the empire. You will be hanged for your crimes.” Nie let the rope wrap around his throat and tried not to think about the bodies hidden underneath that only spectators could see. A wonderful sound blessed his ears as he watched a hand grasp the lever that would lead to his demise.

Everyone ducked at the deafening sound of a roar. They knew what dragons brought. Fire and destruction was imminent. The captain glared at him, but he was too busy smiling at the large emerald shape in the sky. Ambriel was sure to land any second now and she would save him. The lever was pulled, and suddenly he found himself falling and then struggling to breathe. His vision was darkening, but he found his lungs filling with desperately needed air once more.

A silver beak nuzzled his face and he saw Ambriel’s bright, shimmering body. She chewed at his restraints, then lowered her chest to the ground to allow him to climb on. Around him, people lay dazed or dead, and soldiers were slowly getting to their feet.

“Oh my, this won’t help us at all,” Nie murmured to himself as he examined the damage. “Let’s go, love. It’d be best to make a quick escape.” Ambriel snuffled and reared her body back, spreading her great wings and pushed off from the ground. He gazed down at the disappearing shapes, holding onto the spine in front of him to keep from falling off. Nie’s eyes watered as the wind hit his face and he grinned at the familiar feeling. Goosepimples formed on his skin from the cold but he ignored it, basking in the freedom flying brought. He felt safe up in the air, where Ambriel could keep him from harm and catch him if he fell.

As they approached the cave where they lived, Ambriel began her descent, dropping quickly from the air, causing Nie to close his eyes. She knew how he felt about fast descents, but it was probably her way of scolding him for getting captured. He supposed he deserved it.

The tremor caused by their landing rattled Nie’s bones and he felt dizzy as he jumped to the floor. Luckily, he had Ambriel to nudge him towards a pile of silks and keep him balanced. Exhausted from the day’s events, he found himself slipping into slumber easily with Ambriel’s warm neck wrapped around his body like a snake.

\----

Waking up felt like death. He found himself suffocating once more, but instead of a rope around his neck, there was the incessant heat of a dragon’s body. He climbed over the large neck, gasping once he felt the cold air enter his lungs. A rough chortle came from the throat of the great creature that had kept him warm during the night.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up you silly beast,” he huffed, but Nie found himself chuckling as well. He walked over to his side of the great treasury to find the chest containing his clothes and promptly got dressed. The long, flowy shirt was tucked into his high-waisted pants and the wraps to go around his forearms were held in place by their cuffs. Ambriel had pulled herself off the floor of the cavern and had already left to sit in the gardens under the sun. Nie picked up a basket and followed his friend through the entrance to the garden.

The telltale screech of a hungry creature sent him scrambling for the chicken pen guiltily. He supposed it was a bit late, but it wasn’t like Ambriel didn’t care for them too. He led a few chickens to a separate area and snapped their necks quickly so as not to let them suffer. With food in the basket, he made his way to the opposite side of the garden, checking his fishing traps and collecting what he found in them as well. Another ungodly scream made him wince and he approached the hippogryphe pens. A white hippogryphe clawed at the dirt and cried as though it had been starved.

“Alright, you baby. Give me a moment and I’ll feed you. He pulled a chicken out of the basket and tossed it to the creature, which swallowed it down quickly. It stepped towards him as he walked past it, sniffing and pulling at his shirt with its beak.

“Stop that,” he scolded, swatting at it, even though he knew it wouldn’t do much. He continued around the pens and fed each hippogryphe its fair share of food, going in circles to give everyone an equal amount. Nie took the rest of what hadn’t been eaten to Ambriel to guard while he tended to his plants. He felt at home among the animals and greenery.


	2. Escape part 2

Emeric had been expecting some jeers from the crowd when the dragon rider’s crimes were announced. He had seen the public’s distaste of the criminals many times. When he gazed upon the rider, he found himself taken aback by how many scars covered his face, which seemed so young and boyish. He had to remind himself not to sympathize with the man, and turned his attention to the spectators.

His partner stood across on the other side of the platform. They were meant to make sure the prisoners didn’t escape and the crowd didn’t interfere with the hangings. So far, no one had really done anything, and it seemed like it was going to be an easy day. The only concern was the smile on the man’s face as the rope wrapped around his neck. Emeric felt his stomach twist in worry. What was he planning?

His question was answered when a roar caused everyone to duck. A dragon. He looked to the captain for orders, but she was focusing on the dragon rider still.

The great beast landed, causing a shockwave to knock everyone off their feet. Emeric looked over to his partner, who wasn’t getting up. He pushed himself up slowly and stumbled over, avoiding the large wings of the dragon who had done this. When he glanced up at the dragon rider, he looked dazed and tired, holding on tightly to the monster’s spines.

Turning his attention back to Nicki, he checked his pulse, and began sobbing when he found nothing. He cursed the dragon rider, who had taken off while everyone was still getting on their feet. Emeric held Nicki’s body to his and held him close, crying out at the loss of his partner.

Captain Winifred was barking orders, but he couldn’t hear them. A heavy hand touched his shoulder, and she was behind him.

“Go, take him back to the garrison. We will mourn him after we help everyone,” she said gently. He nodded, and picked up Nicki’s body.

His feet carried him to the garrison, but he didn’t watch where he was going. His eyes were focused on the lifeless face that stared up at him. When he stumbled into the garrison, soldiers who were not on duty rushed over to him. They held him and pulled Nicki’s body out of his hands. At once, he curled in on himself, tired and trembling. A few of the older soldiers huddled around him while the body was taken to be prepared for a funeral. Julienne, who had lost her partner as well, wrapped her arms around him, knowing how he felt.

When the captain returned, he stood up and went to talk to her, “Ma’am, we need to go after that dragon rider. He’s killed people.”

“We can’t do anything about it. We aren’t dragon hunters, Emeric. I’m sorry,” Winifred said. She put a hand on his shoulder and continued, “I know it hurts to lose a partner. I want you to take a break, mourn. When you’re ready, you can come back.”

Emeric nodded, but he didn’t want to take a break. He wanted justice. He sat down at the table and waited for the funeral.

Later that night, he suited up in his armor and left the garrison, sword in hand and ready to hunt. That dragon rider would pay for his crimes, Emeric would make sure of it. He walked through the town and past the gates, avoiding the gaze of the guards who stood watch. He disappeared into the darkness.


	3. Searching

Emeric found himself in a neighboring town the next day, following stories of seeing a dragon in the sky. He walked through the dirt streets and asked for directions.

“Hello, miss, I was wondering if you saw a dragon flying by yesterday? I’m trying to confirm which direction it went,” he said politely. The woman shook her head and walked away. He sighed and continued.

There had been three different versions of the story. One man had claimed that the dragon had come through and trampled his crops, but judging by the evidence, it was a group of kids who had done it. A pair of ladies told him that the dragon flew east and had passed without touching anything. The third story was from a little girl with a dog. She said that the dragon had landed and a man had gotten off its back and hadn’t left.

Though the girl was the only one who mentioned a rider, he doubted a dragon rider on the run would stop the next town over. If he did, he’d be the worst criminal ever.

Nevertheless, he continued to search for anyone to back up what he had heard. So far, no one had been able to help. He stopped by a general store halfway through the day to purchase some jerky and decided to ask the store clerk if he had seen anything.

“Have you seen a dragon recently? Coming or going, either would help,” Emeric asked, leaning on the counter.

“What business do you have looking for dragons? They’re dangerous.” The man squinted at him. He seemed reluctant to say anything.

“I just, I was looking for a dragon rider. I think his name is Nie? I need to speak with him. He could help me immensely,” he lied. He felt bad for lying, but the rider needed to pay for his crimes. The clerk regarded him with suspicion. Finally, he sighed and relaxed.

“Nie lives in a mountain with Ambriel, his beast. I think they live to the west. He said it gives his garden the most sunlight during the day. He’s a nice boy, just be careful. He can get scared easily, and that can set off Ambriel,” he explained. The man shook his head and continued, “I shouldn’t be telling you this." The clerk walked over to the next customer, leaving Emeric confused and concerned. He took his bread and walked out. Well, now he knew where to go, There were only a few mountain ranges to the west. He was bound to find the rider in one of them.

With his path set, he decided to get what he needed for a journey that far and leave in the morning.

He walked to the tavern later that night, a bag filled with materials for the trip. As he was about to open the door, he was pulled into a side alley. A hooded figure held a dagger to his throat.

"I know you're a soldier, but soldiers don't go looking for dragon riders on their own. Who are you?" a female voice asked. He put his hand up.

"Alright listen, my captain didn't give me orders to find the rider. I need to find him for personal reasons. Take the blade away from my neck and maybe I'll talk," he replied. The pressure was removed and he relaxed.

"Speak, soldier," she demanded.

"Nie is a criminal. He killed my partner and I won't let him or his dragon get away with their crimes against the Empress. My name is Emeric. I'm from Lakeglen. Now, who are you," Emeric asked. She stepped back and removed her hood.

"I'm Eurus. I protect this town from dangerous criminals. I saw Nie, this dragon rider you speak of. He didn't stop by, but he flew over the trees." Eurus smiled.

"Did he fly west?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

"Good, thank you. Now, I must be going. I am hoping to have a drink before I rest for the night," he pushed off from the wall and went back to the door. Once again, he was grabbed.

"Wait. I want to come with you," Eurus said, holding onto his arm tightly.

Emeric sighed. He pulled his arm out of her grip and turned to her.

"Why would you want to hunt a dragon rider with me?"

"My mother would be pissed. She hates the idea of me going on an adventure. And plus, we might meet some cute women, and I wouldn't mind having a girlfriend," she explained. He paused for a second, before nodding.

"Alright, I guess you can come," he agreed.

\----

Emeric woke up to someone standing over him. He scrambled back and fell out of the bed, grabbing his sword from the bedside table.

"Well, hello there. I assumed we were leaving earlier, so all my items were packed last night." It was Eurus. She had a bag on her back and leather armor covering most of her body, except her feet and neck. She sat down on the bed and waited for him.

"What are you doing in my room? How did you find out where I was staying?" he questioned.

"Well, you aren't exactly sneaky and most people here trust me, except with their daughters, so I found out where you slept for the night pretty easily. C'mon. We need to get moving so that we can find this dragon rider," she exclaimed. Emeric stood up and began to put his armor on. He grabbed his bag and sword.

"If you're ready, let's get going."

They left the inn he'd stayed at and began heading west. He looked up at the sky every now and then, embarrassed by how late he'd slept in.

"So, where are we headed?" Eurus asked.

He stumbled for a second, before realizing that he hadn't explained anything besides finding the dragon rider. He shook his head.

"Right, so the clerk at the general store told me Nie, the rider, lives in a mountain with his dragon. There are a few mountains in the direction we're heading and he should be on one of them," Emeric explained. He stopped and pointed at the snowy peak in the distance.

"Our first stop is up ahead. You prepared to climb a mountain?"

"Totally prepared."


	4. Traveling Companions

Emeric didn’t have anything against his new companion, but she tended to talk a lot. Like now, for example. She was explaining something about Lycanthropes and while normally he’d be interested, he had heard so many things about Lycanthropes during the climb that he was pretty sure it was just repeated information.

“...are you listening?” He was startled out of his thoughts by an interruption in the constant flow of words. She was looking at him intently, still scaling the mountain.

“Um… I-Sorry. Not really?” He stared at his feet in embarrassment.

“It’s fine. I was just wondering. Honestly, I wasn’t really talking to you. I was talking to myself but hey, if you wanna talk…” and back out she faded and Emeric continued walking. On the second mountain, he was hopeful they wouldn’t have to descend only to climb the next peak. 

He felt ready to collapse. He needed to rest for a little bit and said so to his traveling companion. Eurus stopped walking and looked back.

“Oh lords, yeah, we can stop,” she said, examining him. She dropped her pack unceremoniously and started pulling out food and her bedroll. “Want me to make a fire?”

Emeric nodded and took off his armor, leaving him in lighter clothing. He grabbed a piece of bread from his bag and leaned against a rock. His back complained after hours of walking over hunched away from the chilly wind and he slid sideways from the rock and onto the ground, groaning. Suddenly, Eurus was back, holding a pile of logs and some smaller twigs.

“Huh, I figured a soldier would be able to go longer. I mean, you guys are supposed to run for miles, right?” she teased, setting up a small fire pit.

“How in the nine circles of hell are you not exhausted?” He stared at her in astonishment. She shrugged and started trying to light the fire, a pile of extra wood beside her. He pushed himself off the ground and closer to the fire that had started flickering. Emeric felt the weight of his pack against his side and saw that Eurus had dropped it next to him, eating bread that she’d retrieved from her own.

“I guess my training is better than yours,” she said smugly, watching his eyes drift closed before they opened once more.

“Well, to be fair, we weren’t trained to climb mountains for two days straight,” he smiled. He unrolled his bedroll and lay down on it, warmed by the heat of the fire.

“Sleep well, Emeric. I’m gonna stay up a bit longer," she told him. He nodded and closed his eyes.

\----

Back on track with their climb and well rested, Emeric felt better. He looked up at the sound of a screech, and Eurus paused her walking.

"What was that?" she asked, looking for the source of the sound. He shrugged and listened carefully for another sound. They kept walking, trying to keep their footsteps quiet in case a beast was near. Another screech stopped the pair of warriors. Emeric pulled out his sword out of its leather sheath, on guard, while Eurus wielded her knife.

Eurus stepped forward cautiously, watching her surroundings. The soft scrape of claws on dirt became apparent and she stopped. The sound got closer, and a yellow-black beak peeked out from behind a rock. Emeric watched in confusion as a feathered face appeared.

"Eurus, step back," he ordered, realizing what the creature was. A hippogryphe stepped out into the open, cocking its head and letting out a small squawk. She smiled at it, choosing to ignore her companion. She put her knife back in its place on her waist and held her hands up for the white hippogryphe. It moved closer, feathers smoothed back, which she took as a sign that it wasn't threatened.

Emeric lowered his blade as well. He chose to stay back, knowing better than to overwhelm the beast. He let Eurus handle it, and handle it she did.

She let the hippogryph sniff her, and it seemed content with its investigation of her, walking off after a bit. Eurus nodded to him to let him know that they could continue. He sheathed his sword and continued walking, avoiding the hippogryph that still watched them curiously. He kept looking back to make sure that it didn't follow them. He didn't know if he could stand having another traveling companion.

Eurus began to talk once more, and he knew that she wasn't talking to him, only rambling to herself. Emeric let her ramble. She seemed to be talking about hippogryphs, and apparently knew a lot about them.

The pair found themselves at the mouth of a cave eventually, and Emeric inspected the outside for any signs of life before they went in. It didn't seem big enough for the monster he'd seen at the execution, but there was always the possibility of another, larger entrance on the other side of the mountain. Obsidian-colored scales were buried partially in the ground and Eurus told him it wasn't the place.

"You said this dragon was green? They don't change colors from what I know and these seem like they're from a dragon that hasn't been here in a while. I don't think this is the mountain they're on. We should rest for the night and start climbing down tomorrow morning. The cave should keep us safe tonight," she said, already walking in. He sighed and followed her inside, squinting to see through the blackness that the light didn't reach. No noises, no glowing eyes, and no fire-breathing dragons. It was empty and safe for them to stay.

The fading golden light gave them enough sight to gather a bit of wood for the night and they relaxed by the fire as night fell over the land. Eurus was content to sit in silence as they ate some of the food they had brought. Emeric let sleep embrace him in the light of the fire. His sleep was dreamless and comfortable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note, the hippogryphes in this story are just as dangerous as Buckbeak is depicted in Harry Potter but, I decided to make younger hippgryphes more curious and less violent than adults, thus its leave after the investigation of Eurus. I could not find much on the creatures from my research other than their diets, so apologies if it seems odd for a hippgryphe to act like the one in this chapter does.


End file.
